SAN ANTONIO — Some day, says Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum will be the leader of Les Bleus, the French national team Parker led to its first European championship last summer.

For the present, the Spurs' point guard wants to make certain his friend and summer teammate doesn't take over the Western Conference semifinal series.

Batum dominated Game 4, a 103-92 Trail Blazers win that kept his team alive. His 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists left him just two assists shy of a triple-double, and his defensive work on Parker was just as impressive. The 6-foot-8 swingman limited Parker to 14 points, nearly 16 under his average in the series' first three games.

Parker insists he enjoys going head-to-head against the 25-year-old Batum.

“I think he's got the skill set to become the leader of that team once I retire,” said Parker, who will turn 32 on Saturday. “The main goal for him is to do the same thing our generation did, me and Boris (Diaw) and Rony Turiaf. When I retire, he'll be 28 or 29, his best years, his prime, to try and keep winning with the national team.